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This trip was an epic success! Saw everything we wanted to and then some. Paul was an exceptional guide and made us feel very welcome. Our drivers were excellent as well. Got to experience many different sides of the safari experience (every one worthwhile) - would definitely take this trip all over again.

No words, photos or movies can express the magic of Africa. You have to experience it. And what an experience our group had with Paul Kirui! Everyday, we learned about the wildlife and ecosystem of Kenya and Tanzania thru his vast knowledge of the Countries. His leadership and psychological skills guided us in delicate situations. His great sense of humor and wise philosophy of life animated the conversations during meal time.
Wilfred and Eric, our driver guides were a perfect complement to Paul and excellent drivers.
The accommodations were very nice in each stop and the food was excellent specially at Speke Bay lodge and Fig Tree Camp.
The school visit was a delight with all those young children in uniform, eager to learn.
Some tips :
If you have asthma or sinus problem, bring MASKS.
A self inflated pillow is helpful for the back.
Any color of cloth will do. Tse Tse flies will not bother you.
Best currency rate for Kenya is at the airport ATM. Dollars or Credit Cards are accepted everywhere.
Shopping stops :
- Masai Village : little bargaining but consider it as a gift for the Village.
- on the road to Nairobi : nice souvenirs but tough bargaining to reach 1/2 the price asked.
- in Nairobi, at lunch time : no bargaining, nice price, nice souvenirs.
- In Nairobi Hotel : good price - not a big selection

This trip was truly a trip of a lifetime. I'm sharing my photos and stories with friends and family and reliving the beauty of Kenya and Tanzania.....the people, the animals and the vastness of the countryside. I highly recommend the experience to anyone who is open to learning more about this very different part of our world.

Experiencing the vast plains, the approaching storms, the roadside markets, and the animals made this my most unusual adventure yet. I recognized scenes similar to movies, but I have such a different interpretation now because I've been in the animals' habitat, visited with the Maasai and others, and survived the traffic in Nairobi. Buffet meals, hot showers, and turn-down service each evening was more than I expected. Loved the baby elephants and the kneeling warthogs! Will encourage others to experience Kenya and Tanzania.

Wonderful experience. Saw every animal we hoped for, and then some. You won't believe the quantity of animals and it is educational/fun to see them going on about their daily lives in the wild. Great guides. Fun fellow tour members. Educational about the animals, people and geography. Excellent accommodations. Food not a highlight.
Be prepared for long days, dusty, very rough roads, and a wonderful time. But bring extra money (USD) for tips and purchases. ATMs and credit card machines not part of the local flora and fauna. We believed that Road Scholar covered gratuities but locals expected more.
Overall just a fantastic experience!

As an 80 year-old single woman, I was a little apprehensive about taking this trip. But the drivers adopted me and called me "mamma" the whole trip, helping me get in and out of the safari vehicle every day. The other participants on the trip also looked out for me. It was a wonderful trip and I wouldn't want anyone's age or being single to stop them from going.

Dan from Austin, Texas
Number of programs attended: 1
Date attended: 09/08/14-09/22/14
Extraordinary trip! Can't imagine we will ever take a trip again that will be as remarkable as this one. It was like watching the best of Discovery Channel and National Geographic in 360 but better. Paul Kirui our guide was exceptional. He has to be the best in all of Africa. Don't deny yourself - GO!

This program was amazing and I recommend anyone that can go, should go! A few days were rather long in the car, but well worth it to get from one place to another. All the accommodations were amazing, the food at all the lodges was terrific (always a buffet so everyone could find something great to eat), The drivers, lecturers, guides, hotel staff, etc were all wonderful. I highly recommend this trip to EVERYONE! I am counting my pennies to return to these beautiful countries!

I've traveled a lot and am not usually easy to impress, but this safari proved to be the trip of a lifetime for me. Paul Kirui may be the only person in the world who combines such deep knowledge of African flora and fauna, professional photographic skills, fluency in at least three languages, and the interpersonal skills to act as a kindly shepherd to a dozen independent-minded tourists and help them bond as a group. The photographs that he and his colleagues set up for us are ones that I will treasure for a lifetime, enriched by a greater understanding of how the many pieces of the equatorial African ecosystem fit together. We were so lucky to have Paul as a group leader.

As to creature comforts, accommodations all along the way were clean, comfortable, and often in spectacular settings--e.g., on the south rim of Ngorongoro Crater, with a panoramic view of the whole crater floor from every room. Staff at the lodges and all four of our drivers were unfailingly courteous, friendly, and professional. I'd go back in a heartbeat!

Wow! Those three letters do a better job of explaining our experience than any amount of detailed explanations. The people, places, flora, fauna, accommodations and experiences exceeded our expectations.

This trip exceeded our expectations; no matter how many nature shows watched on TV or in the movies, there is nothing to compare to actually seeing the vastness of the East African plains and its animals in person. And in person it was - we even had two lion cubs crawl under the van! Everything about this program was outstanding - organization, accommodations, our guide, the drivers, our fellow participants and variety and number of animals. Paul Kirui, our guide, was one of the best we have had on over 10 Road Scholar trips. A gentle, quiet, competent man, he added so much to the trip. Highly recommended program.

This is an excellent trip for viewing African wildlife and fantastic landscapes. The accommodations are excellent and everyone we met was very helpful and friendly. It is not at all strenuous beyond lots of riding on very bumpy roads-which we really didn't mind since we were seeing elephants and zebra and giraffes in their homes! Highly recommended.

This is an exceptional program for anyone interested in African wildlife as well as seeing how the native Africans live in both the cities and the bush areas. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who can tolerate the rough and dusty roads which to me just added to the experience.

Had a fabulous time. So many animals. Paul Kirui was a wonderful and knowledgeable guide. He went out of his wa to attend to every detail. Great fellow travelers..what a good mix. Could not believe how close we were to the animals. The staff at every lodge were gracious and kind. The drivers were also helpful and accommodating. RoadScholar does it right...and you come home really feeling as though you have been on a fabulous vacation.

Great program. Trip of a life time. Saw the big five and much more. Within 15 feet of Lions, Cheetahs Elephants, etc. The animals were at peace with the people and were not afraid of them. Wonderful guide and drivers. Stayed at scenic lodges. Interacted and danced with the Masai people. Roads were rough but the travel was always worth the effort. Great group of fellow travellers added to the excitement. Eastern Africa is beautiful and blessed with wonderful people.

When you observe the sun rise over Mt. Kilimanjaro and set over the plains of the Serengeti you understand your place among this vast and extraordinary landscape is fleeting. The experiences give one time to pause and put in perspective the beauty of the cycle of life, from silently watching a new born Wildebeest get up triumphantly and trot off with her mother to a female lion taking down a Gazelle, it all played out in front of us.
The shared time spent taking pictures, and sharing observations while living six and seven hours a day in vehicles created a bond among the group that carried us easily through the many places and over the roads of some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

Sandi from Rochester, NY
Number of programs attended: 2
Date attended: 1/20/14 - 2/03/14
What a great adventure in a beautiful country! You never knew what you see on a safari drive....cavorting gazelles and impalas, baby elephants suckling mama's milk, elegant giraffes, hippos snorting in a stream,a pride of lions with cubs snoozing at a waterhole,
galloping wildebeests, a racing cheetah, busy baboons, trotting warthogs, skulking hyenas....and gorgeous sunsets! I will remember you forever, Africa!

The Classic Kenya and Tanzania Safari program is wonderful! Be ready to see every sunrise and sunset during your two weeks and please read up on all the program materials and about East African wildlife and culture before you go! Watch what you eat- two weeks of buffets... This is a fabulous adventure!

I thought that this trip was very well organized and informative. It went beyond my expectations int he number of animals and birds I saw and in what I learned about Kenya and Tanzania.The accommodations were lovely and the best part of the trip were the people I met, both guides and participants. I had a wonderful time!

Classic Kenya and Tanzania Safari was an outstanding experience both in people and animals. Saw every animal we went to see and hundreds of birds. Great Group Leader, Denis Simi. Highly recommend this program to anyone interested in see Africa.

Kenya & Tanzania proved to be an amazing program. Although the van drives were long and bumpy, seeing the variety and number of animals was fantastic. The lodgings were pleasant, and all the people we encountered were so welcoming. Our leader, Denis, was the best: well informed, an excellent communicator, and a non-anxious presence--just a wonderful man with a great sense of humor. The drivers of the vans that I was in were extremely competent, saw to our comfort, and, they, too, had good senses of humor. For me, it was fantastic to see Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Cradle of Humankind--in addition to all the animals. The lectures were interesting. And our group of 20 was fun to be with. Now the photos remind me of the amazing 12 days of safari!!!!

This was our second Roads Scholar trip to Africa and it was stunning. The first was in Southern Africa and it was also great but we saw more wildlife up closer in Kenya and Tanzania than we did in Botswana and Zambia. I would recommend both of these trips to anyone wanting to experience Africa up close and personal.
Dave O, Oregon

We just got back from a trip to Kenya and Tanzania Sept 17 to Oct 1, 2013. During that time there was a bombing in Nairobi. The group leader handled our concerns well so that the incident had no adverse effect on our trip. In fact the leader was skilled at handling the minor glitches that can be expected when visiting a third world country.
We had the opportunity to see and study the behavior of animals and birds in their own habitat. Also we had direct contact with the people who live with and survive with these animals.It is difficult to describe the wonder of viewing the migration of wildebeests, watching a herd of elephants care for each other or spend a half hour observing the behavior of a family of baboons.
The accomodations were first rate with several architecturally unique lodges and the food gave one an opportunity to try local dishes.
The group leader managed the group well and the driver guides were skilled drivers and guides. The vans were comfortable though the roads were bumpy but the vans could use microphones.

I highly recommend this program. We saw so many different animals, it was amazing. The lodges were beautiful and offered tasty, plentiful food. Drivers were so nice, helpful, and competent. Denis, our tour guide couldn't have been any better. Our enjoyment, education, and comfort were their top priority. What a special trip! I am still thrilled and amazed by my memories and photos. Be prepared for a very bumpy ride, though, and do pack lightly. (As for that hot air balloon ride, it was incredible... but probably not worth that price tag to me, in hindsight. Depends on how much money you have to spend I guess.)

Our trip to Kenya and Tanzania defintely met our goal of seeing THE BIG FIVE. We saw animals every day and they were close and active. The hotels were unique and the setting was lovely. I would recommend a safari to anyone and suggest they defintely include the HOT AIR BALLON ACROSS THE MASAI MARA. I would not recommend this trip to anyone who is not physically fit or disabled. It is difficult to get in and out of vehicles, it is a rough and noisy route by car. The hotels, although beautiful, can be a safety risk as the lighting is inadequate and non existent at times, and the paths and stairs have no safety features. There were numerous falls on this trip and they all but one occured in the hotels.

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The latest in light, portable, easy-to-use QUIETVOX listening devices are available on Road Scholar programs.* Whether you are outdoors, in a crowd or in a museum environment where speaking loudly is discouraged, a listening device makes it feel like our experts are speaking clearly and directly to you. Hear for yourself on a Road Scholar adventure!

*Please note that due to the nature of some programs, the remote location or government regulations, listening devices may not be available. If you’d like to know for sure if your program will offer listening devices, just call and ask an Advisor!